GO-TO RED LENTIL & VEGETABLE SOUP (+ Thermomix instructions)

Looking for an easy, filling, tasty make-ahead meal idea? This has been a go-to of mine for a few years now, and it’s a recipe I never tire of. I decided to give it a whirl in the Thermomix. New to modifying recipes for this machine (or even using it, really!), I had to make some uneducated guesses. But intuition saved the day, and I am happy to share this recipe again, now updated to include Thermomix directions. If you don’t have a Thermomix, worry not. This recipe is easy to prepare regardless.

I’ll be serving this hearty soup tomorrow when the girls come over for our annual pre-Christmas crafting day (which will double as a very informal pre-baby celebration). I look forward to sharing the rest of what I’ll be serving soon!

<3 MM xx

GO-TO RED LENTIL & VEGETABLE SOUP

Prep time: 5 – 15 min | Cook time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions
3 large celery sticks
3 large carrots
1.5 litres vegetable stock (or 3 stock cubes + 1.5 l boiling water)
300 ml red lentils, picked over and rinsed
150 ml brown rice, picked over and rinsed
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

TO SERVE
Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
Slivered almonds, toasted (I like lots!)
Chilli flakes

DIRECTIONS 

1. Peel vegetables and chop rather finely.
2. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until slightly caramelised, stirring occasionally.
3. Add stock (or water + crumbled stock cubes), bring to a boil, then stir in the chilli flakes, lentils and rice.
4. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add more water/stock if needed a little at a time until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
5. Add the juice of half a lemon and stir through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Ladle into bowls, squeeze a little extra lemon juice over each serving and top with toasted slivered almonds and chilli flakes.

DIRECTIONS FOR THERMOMIX

1. Chop vegetables into large chunks (carrot and celery in halves or thirds, onion in quarters). Pop vegetable pieces into Thermomix bowl and chop for  7 seconds on speed 7. Check to make sure that vegetables are chopped evenly.
2. Sauté vegetables on varoma temperature for 3 minutes on speed 1 (with no lid).
3. Add stock (or water + crumbled stock cubes*), lentils and rice and cook soup for 30 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1.
4. Add the juice of half a lemon and stir through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ladle into bowls, squeeze a little extra lemon juice over each serving and top with toasted slivered almonds and chilli flakes.

*I sometimes like to add extra stock (around 500 ml) for a thinner consistency. This works particularly well when reheating leftovers.